Alpujarra walks

Number Seven: Poqueira Gorge to Tahá Valley

From Capileira in the Poqueira Gorge to Pitres in the Tahá Valley.

Poqueira Gorge to Tahá Valley one-way walk
Duration: 2 hrs 15 mins walking
Difficulty: Easy

This very pleasant, largely tree-lined and easy walk goes from Capileira in the Poqueira Gorge over the ridge to Pitres in the Tahá Valley.

After the initial walk up the road from Capileira, all the rest is level or downhill.

Tip: If you don't have a ride back, there is an afternoon bus from Pitres to Capileira. The Alsa bus website doesn't always show up-to-date departure times (currently 16:30 and 18:00), so check locally.

From Capileira, walk up the quiet mountain road for 30 mins as far as the graffiti-painted ruin, where there is a road sign indicating that you are 2 km from Capileira. Turn right along the dirt road. Walking posts striped in white and yellow are only partially helpful: keep to this guide to stay on the right track.

We leave Capileira behind

After a while, you will see a minor path off to the right marked with a green-and-white signpost, which goes down to Bubión at the end of the Bubión Sunset Walk. Ignore this and carry on along the dirt road.

Shortly afterwards, you will see ahead the rocky outcrop of Peña del Angel. As you approach this, the track splits: keep to the left to continue.

Approaching the Peña del Angel outcrop

You walk past an expanse of fir trees to a point where the track splits three ways. You’ve been walking for approximately one hour. Take the track to the left.

Your walk is lined with trees, with real oak trees mixing among the evergreen scrub oaks.

Then, over fencing to the right, the view suddenly opens far and wide, stretching as far as the Contraviesa mountain range.

The Contraviesa mountain range to the south is good wine grape growing land

After passing a circular water treatment plant, the track runs parallel with an acequia below to the right.

At a sign for cattle (here that means sheep and goats), another track turns down to the right*.

Keep left to continue.

*Tip: The track off to the right is a short cut to Capilerilla. If you choose this option, once in the village, go down the first street and turn left to walk along the street with three tinaos (porch terraces). At the end, turn right to rejoin this itinerary at the sign indicating Pitres  0.5 km.

We suggest you don't take the shortcut unless you are knackered. The full itinerary isn't that much longer and it's pretty.

About 1 hr 30 mins after setting out, the track comes to a natural conclusion, you cross the acequia, and a path descends. You’ll see another yellow and white route marker here.

The broad track ends, you cross over the acequia and descend the path

The acequia

Now we go down

You go down through the most splendid ancient chestnut trees. If you do this walk in mid-to-late November, you will experience the sensation of wading through a children’s playpen filled with soft balls, as you tread on a thick, rubbery layer of leaves and chestnut shells.

You pass by a private and distinctly funky finca called Baile en el Aire where courses are given in a supremely peaceful and natural setting. We don't walk in as this is private property. But do contact them if you want to arrange a dance or other creative workshop and would like to visit.

Baile en el Aire: a cabin to dream in

And all the colours of...

Baile en el Aire dance stage

... green

You have entered the Tahá Valley and, after the Barranco del Poqueira, its special warmth is palpable. You see cortijos and worked farmland.

Crisscrossing a small acequia brings you down to a dirt road, where you turn right. Walking past cortijos, you will see little Capilerilla ahead. At a tarmac road, turn right to Capilerilla, from where it is just 0.5 km to Pitres.

In the hamlet, turn left down the Camino de Pitres and descend to Pitres, capital of the Tahá Valley with 500 inhabitants.

In Capilerilla, turn left down the Camino de Pitres.

Capilerilla: signpost to Pitres

The path becomes a Pitres street and this emerges onto the village square by the church, where there are a couple of bars with terraces and a supermarket.

That was a very nice, rather easy walk :-)

Where to have drinks and food afterwards?
Read our local guide to Pitres & La Tahá restaurants and bars

That's all, folks!

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